Touch Me Not
by Between the Fire and the Storm
Summary: Forbidden from all physical contact without severe consequences due to a curse, a young Anakin Skywalker is taken in by Sidious. Since then, Vader has blindly followed his master's directions, but when finally given real exposure to the public, he starts to question Sidious.
1. Chapter 1

For those of you who are reading "Never Let Go," let me give an apology. While I do intend to finish it, I have run into a very stubborn writers block, and am uncertain as to when I will be able get the next chapter up.  
Secondly, I am currently juggling college assignments right now, so updates on any story may be a bit unpredictable. Again, I apologize.

**Touch Me Not**

"Boy! Get in here!" Anakin sighed at the sound of Watto's gruff voice and dropped the wrench onto the dusty floor of the shop. The droid's lifeless eyes stared at him as though it was complaining that he had yet to be fixed. "Anakin!"

"Coming!" He jumped to his feet and ran outside to where his master hovered in the air, talking to another customer. Anakin approached carefully; there was something that he did not like about this one, but he could not figure out exactly what was wrong. Maybe it was the way his dirty cloak covered his image. Maybe it was the glimpse of withered skin underneath his hood. Or maybe it was the gleaming hatred and ill intent in his eyes when he turned and stared at Anakin as he approached.

"Anakin, mind the store." Anakin watched as Watto and the stranger got into a speeder and disappeared from view as they headed off to what Anakin assumed was another pod race. He shrugged his shoulders and went back inside to continue working on his droid. He settled down in the dust and picked his wrench back up.

"Someday, I'm going to leave this place." The droid's lifeless shell stared back at him expressionless. "They'll soon see. Mom and I will be free someday, and I'll be a hero." Still the droid silently stood there as he worked on him. "You know why? Because I'm going to set all the slaves free! And I'm going to be the greatest pod racer there ever was!"

"That's very ambitious for a five-year-old." Anakin jumped but then realized that it was the man standing in the doorway and not the droid that had spoken.

"I'm sorry, I didn't see you there."

The man chuckled. "Quite all right."

"And I'm six- I think."

The tall, plump man stepped further inside and displayed a brilliant smile. His white hair gleamed with what little sunlight entered the shop. "Tell me, son, what's your name?"

"Anakin." He stood and came closer to the man.

"Ah, Anakin-"

"But my mom calls me Ani."

The man nodded and took a good look around before fixing his eyes on Anakin again. "Well, Ani, you can call me E.G. This is a very nice establishment you have here."

Anakin giggled. "It's not mine, Sir."

"Ah, just a place for a little down time I see?" He gave Anakin a charming look and with a twinkle in his eye, proceeded to walk around looking at the piles of junk that lined the walls and floor. "Perhaps you can help me anyway, eh?" E.G. turned his smile towards Anakin.

"Well I can certainly try."

E.G. handed him a pad. "I'm missing this part for my ship- well actually my crewman swallowed it, but that's a very long story."

Anakin's eyes widened with wonder when he read the specifications. His first impulse was to ask how the man had managed that, but he stopped himself. Watto all but forbade him from small-talk with the customers and he was already being very friendly with this man. But E.G. seemed nice and Anakin felt that it would do little harm to handle the transaction himself. "I think I can find it for you."

"That, young man, I would view as a great achievement." E.G. laughed as he gestured at the disorganized piles of parts. Anakin laughed brightly with him and began searching. It did not take long for him to find it- he knew where almost everything in the shop was- and in less than five minutes he returned and placed it in the man's hand. "Well, I must say, Ani, I am impressed."

Anakin grinned. "No problem, Sir."

"How much will it be?"

Anakin shrugged. He was never the one to decide that, Watto always did the negotiating. "I'm not sure, to be honest."

"Well, I'll just make a guess. Cup your hands." Anakin did as he was told and E.G. poured a few credits into his hands. "There that should more than cover it."

"Thank-you, Sir." Anakin ran over to the counter and jumped up on top of it to put them away. He turned back around.

"Well, young man, I'm afraid I must be on my way. I have allot to do before I leave tomorrow." E.G. held out his hand to Anakin who was still standing on the countertop. "It's been a pleasure."

"It was very nice to meet you too." He gave Anakin his charming grin one last time and turning around slowly walked out the door. Anakin jumped down and headed back to the droid he had been working on.

"Such a nice man, wasn't he?" The droid still did not answer. Anakin occupied himself for a while with the droid until Watto came back a couple of hours later. He came hovering in with a crestfallen look on his face. Anakin immediately knew that the race must have not gone well.

"Are you finished with that?"

"No, I-"

"Finish it tomorrow." Anakin jumped up and started out the door to go see his mother, but just at the threshold, he stopped. Something did not seem right.

He turned around. "Watto, what happened?" His master did not even turn to look at him.

"It doesn't concern you."

"But you've had bad bets before..." Anakin felt compelled to step a little closer, "...and where's that man you were with?"

"Go home, Anakin." There was something in his voice, or perhaps the lack of something, that kept Anakin's feet planted.

"You lost allot, didn't you?" Watto turned around this time and hovered closer to Anakin.

"I won. Now go home." Anakin stared at him. He won? Then why was he so upset? "Now!"

Still confused, Anakin turned around and dashed out the door. After a couple of blocks, he slowed his pace and dragged his feet in the sand, watching the lighter particles kick up into small dust clouds that hit against his legs as he walked. He amused himself in this manner for a while and just as the first sun was sinking into the horizon, Anakin stepped into the doorway of his home. "Mom! I'm back!" No answer came. "Mom?"

Anakin stepped into the kitchen and gasped in fright. "Mom!" He rushed to the side of his mother's still figure that lay on the floor. With trembling hands, he shook her. "Mom, wake up." An uneasy feeling washed over him, and looking up, he saw the man that had been with Watto earlier step from around the corner. "What have you done to my mom?"

"I would be more worried, boy, about what I'm going to do to you." Anakin instinctively wanted to run, but he could not leave his mother here, so he stayed on his knees by his mother's side. "Your master has caused me a great loss, and I am going to do the same to him." The old man started for Anakin and grabbed him around his ribcage.

"Stop, let me go!" Anakin struggled against the man, but as frail as he may have looked, the stranger was quite strong and carried Anakin into his own bedroom with ease. Tossing him down onto the bed, the man turned the frantic boy over onto his stomach and pinned him down. "Let me go! You're hurting me!" Anakin coughed as the man leaned his knee into his back, adding unnecessary pressure to his lungs. "Mom!"

"Hold still, little one." Tears of pain rolled down Anakin's cheeks as he felt his arms being pulled awkwardly behind his back to be bound by rough ropes. His legs were securely tied together as well, yet the weight of the old man remained on top of him.

"Please, it hurts." Anakin felt cold metal against the back of his neck and as the sharp edge started to dig in, blood ran down his skin. He thought that he was certainly going to die now and sobbed uncontrollably as the knife continued to cut into his flesh. But it stopped and the man laid the knife down. For a moment all he could feel was the warm, sticky blood on his neck and the pain from the fresh cut.

A shrill scream escaped Anakin's throat when the stranger inserted his finger into the wound. He renewed his efforts to escape the man's grasp. "I almost have it, boy." With that, the stranger inserted his thumb as well and tugged at something in Anakin's flesh. A few more seconds, and then all at once, the man had removed his hand from the wound and lifted his weight from the shaking child's body. Anakin let the tears flow freely down his face and buried his nose in the covers. "See, boy." When Anakin did not look up, the stranger turned the boy's head so that he could see the gleaming metal chip that he held in his bloodied fingers. "You are no longer bound to Watto." Anakin stared at the slave chip. This is not how he envisioned freedom.

The stranger laughed and threw back his hood. His hair was sparse and white. The man's eyes had grown bloodshot and his wrinkled skin was deathly white. The entire visage sent chills down Anakin's spine. "Freedom comes at a price though."

Anakin flinched and buried his tear-burned face back into the bed as the man leaned over him. A cold liquid was poured over his wound and a burning sensation throbbed through his neck. More weak cries escaped his lips only to be muffled by the position of his face. He could perceive that it had done something to close up the cut, but that did not change the fact that it hurt. Anakin was abruptly flipped over onto his back, crushing his arms beneath him. "Please, stop." His plea was weak.

"It will all be over soon." The man laid both hands over Anakin's chest and pressed down. "You have an innocent child's heart. That doesn't do a person much good." He pressed down harder. The pressure was so great that it left Anakin struggling for even a small breath. "You will have the heart of death." Again he increased the force against Anakin's chest, depriving him of any ability to breathe. "Everything you touch from now own will die, until it overcomes you. Then you yourself will become part of the ground." The man's hands lifted from him, and even though he could now breathe, there was a strange, uncomfortable weight still remaining in Anakin's chest.

The stranger rolled the boy over again and undid the ropes that bound him. Anakin was too stunned to move, and leaving him in that state, the stranger disappeared. Anakin was uncertain as to whether he had walked out or simply vanished. He thought little of it and wondered if he was not dead, or if it had all been a nightmare. But the weight was still heavy in his heart, and he concluded that not only was it real, but that he was also very much alive. Yet so lifeless.

It felt as though he had been laying there for hours when he heard his mother's weak voice calling him. "Anakin?" A new energy entered him and he sat up.

"Mom!" There was only a few seconds delay before he saw his mother in his doorway. Fresh tears rain down his face. His mother rushed to the bed where he sat and she fell on him, showering him in kisses.

"Oh, Ani, are you okay?" He nodded and her touch seemed to temporally alleviated the weight in his chest.

"Mom, I'm so scared." She suddenly fell limp in his arms. Panicked, he pushed her off of him and her lifeless body rolled over onto the bed beside him. The stranger's words rang in his head. "Mom! Mom, I'm so sorry!" He screamed out his apologies to her and laid his head into his small hands, weeping uncontrollably.

"Is everything all right?" Anakin looked up and saw E.G. walking towards him. Upon seeing Anakin's mother lying still on the bed, he leaned over her and started to check for a pulse. "I was walking by when I heard you cry out." A solemn look came over his face when he realized that she was dead. "What happened to her?" The merry smile was completely absent and a look of deep concern was all that filled his face.

"I- it was an accident! I didn't know!"

"Calm down, and tell me what happened." E.G. stretched out his hand to lay it on Anakin's shoulder.

"No!" He jumped back and scurried over to the corner of the bed. "Don't touch me!"

"Ani, I'm not going to hurt you." Again, he tried to lay a hand on him to calm the boy, but Anakin shrieked for him to stop.

"If you touch me, you'll die!"

"Ani, don't be ridiculous." This time he succeeded in taking hold of Anakin's arm but when Anakin struggled to get away, he released him. "All right, all right. See? Nothing happened." But just as he finished speaking, E.G. fell to the floor.

Anakin's eyes widened in horror. "I'm so sorry..." He lifted himself from the bed and ran out the door of his home and started running for the edge of the city as quickly as possible. He hastily decided that he could not be near people for fear of accidentally killing someone.

He dashed through the streets until he reached the outskirts of the city. With one last look at civilization and a whispered farewell to his deceased mother, Anakin made his way into the wilderness of the desert.

Now Tatooine is a very hostile place, and few can survive without protection from the elements and nourishment for the body. But Anakin was a creative young boy and very resourceful. Fearing to go near civilization- even that of the Tuscans- he hid himself in the ranges of the rocky mountain cliffs. Watto assumed him to be dead upon finding Anakin's mother's and the old man's bodies the next day, so Anakin was left to survive as best as he could. And for over a year he fared well enough on his own, but guilt plagued him and little hope was left for the future.

In the political center of the galaxy, there was a senator whose plans were less than noble and whose relationship with the Force was one of malicious intent. He was a talented actor but one with a dark soul. Contrary to the common belief of those who speculated about the Sith at the time, he did have one, but it did not have a need for love by the normal definition. Everyone needs love, a soul would die without it, but what it is and how it is expressed is by definition of the person. Natural love can be perverted but, by no means does a personal definition make a thing right, for few would agree that the pain of others should bring pleasure. That the destruction of a human's heart was a beautiful thing. That the ripping someone apart emotionally was to be gratifying. That someone kneeling at command out of pure fear is love.

It would be wonderful to say that he would never cross paths with Anakin, but as cruelty would have it, Senator Palliative happened to feel a developing beacon of the Force, and set out to find it before the Jedi felt it.

It would be wonderful to say that, when he did find Anakin, the boy would have enough sense to flee from him, but the burden of the death of two wonderful people is such a hard thing to bear. A promise of control over his Force powers as well as a promise of overcoming his "disease" –even making it useful- can be very appealing to seven-year-old who has been alone for so long.

It would be wonderful to say that a boy with such dangerous powers was not taken under the wing of someone so vile as Darth Sidious- but things are not always wonderful.


	2. Chapter 2

Obi-Wan pulled his lightsaber into his hand as his ship skidded to a stop on the hanger floor. He threw the hood open and leapt out, swinging his blade with brisk precision at the separatist droids. One by one they fell in spite of their feeble attempt to take him down.

"Are you quite finished yet?"

Obi-Wan whisked his head around to Qui-Gon who now stood calmly at his side. "You could have gotten us killed."

"But I didn't, and you're exaggerating." Qui-Gon turned away before he had a chance to retort. "Artoo, get over here." The little astro-droid merrily rolled over to where the two Jedi were standing.

Obi-Wan ran his hand through his sweat soaked hair as Artoo rambled on in his distinct high-pitched beeps. "Artoo, shut-up and bring up a map of the ship." The droid did as asked and displayed a hologram of the _Invisible Hand_.

"Obi-Wan, try to calm down. This war is starting to get to you."

Obi-Wan purposefully ignored his former master's remark. "The Chancellor should be up here in these upper spires."

"I was at the briefing." Qui-Gon was far too nonchalant for Obi-wan right now. "Artoo stay with the ships."

Obi-Wan was already walking off. It was not just the war; some of Qui-Gon's recent antics had gotten him in deep trouble with the Council lately. When he was still his padawan it was not within his right to question, and admittedly, his spontaneous decisions made life rather fun. But there was a war on now, and had Qui-Gon not been so indispensable to the Jedi, he might have been suspended ages ago. Qui-Gon was one of the calmest, most assertive Jedi Obi-Wan had ever met, and he was so in tune with the Force. Yet somehow he managed to be a mischievous rebel at the same time.

"You really should learn to guard your thoughts more carefully."

"Don't chide me. You don't know what I'm thinking."

"I can tell that you are upset with me."

"You needed the Force to come to that conclusion?" He turned his head slightly and noted a hint of hurt in Qui-Gon's eyes. "I'm sorry."

"What's wrong?" Qui-Gon stopped in the middle of the hall.

"Master, this is neither the time nor the place to talk about this." Even if it was, he had no desire to discuss it with him.

"Very well." They continued on in silence. At least until several droidicas rolled down the corridor and started firing at them. "Watch out!" A stray shot scarcely missed Obi-Wan's head as he whipped out his lightsaber. As if it were planed ahead of time, they back themselves into the elevator, and finding themselves not alone as the doors shut, they whirled around and took out the droids with ease. "We seem to attract trouble."

Obi-Wan could not help but give a small laugh as he pressed the button to take them up to the top of the spire. "_You_ attract trouble."

"Yes, that I do. And you avoid it." They stared at the door in silence for a moment. Qui-Gon turned his eyes to Obi-Wan once again. "And yet I keep you around."

Obi-Wan smiled. It was impossible to stay mad with Qui-Gon. Not that all was forgiven, but Qui‑Gon had nothing if not a charming personality. Maybe this is why the Jedi Council kept him around; he was one the Jedi's best negotiators. Then again, maybe it was because of his negotiating skills that he managed to never get into trouble for what he did. Not that he was the worst Jedi out there, but he could definitely be a rogue sometimes. Obi-Wan did have to hand it to him, it was his ability to compromise that had gotten them out of trouble on more than a few occasions, yet Qui-Gon never wavered on his morals. Obi-Wan knew very few people with such insight as his former Master, and, admittedly, he was rarely wrong. He often wondered-

The elevator suddenly stopped, breaking off Obi-Wan's train of thought. "What happened?"

"Did you touch anything?"

"Of course not, Master."

Qui-Gon pulled out his communicator. "Artoo, the elevator's stopped."

Obi-Wan ceased to listen to the conversation and igniting his lightsaber, he began to cut a hole in the roof.

"Obi-Wan, what are you doing?" The section of the ceiling he had been cutting fell out and Obi-Wan started to climb out only to be pulled back down by Qui-Gon. "Stop that. Artoo is fixing it." Right on cue, the elevator suddenly started plummeting down, jolting the two Jedi.

"Wrong direction!"

Qui-Gon glared at him as if to say "I can tell." He lifted the communicator to his mouth. "Artoo, we are supposed to be going up." A few quick beeps in response. "We are not going up, Artoo; I can tell the difference between up and down."

"Really?"

Qui-Gon gave Obi-Wan another glare as R ‑2 tried to argue with him. "Artoo-" The elevator abruptly changed directions sending them to the floor. They picked themselves up and Obi-Wan brushed himself off. Qui-Gon shut off his communicator before R‑2 could get a word in. They were unable to understand what he said half the time anyway. "Why do you keep that droid around?'

"Because he's good at what he does."

"But he has such an attitude."

"Well, Master, if I started going by that, then I wouldn't have you around either, now would I?" This time Qui‑Gon smiled. When they finally managed to make it to the top level, they stepped out into the corridor and Obi‑Wan pointed to their left. "He should be at the end of this hall."

They lost no time in getting there and, lightsabers at the ready, they stepped into the room. Oddly enough, there were no guards. They stood on a small balcony with two stair cases leading to a lower level where the chancellor sat bound to a chair that stood in front a large group of tall windows through which they could see the battle raging out in the upper atmosphere of Coruscant. They immediately made their way down to him.

"Chancellor," Qui‑Gon spoke up as they stood before him, "are you all right?"

The Chancellor stilled his gaze on something behind them. "Dooku." They turned around and on the balcony where they had just been, stood Count Dooku and one of his body guard droids.

"What was that you had been saying about attracting trouble, Master?" Obi-Wan remarked in a low voice.

"Qui‑Gon, it's good to see you." Dooku started to make his way down the stairs.

"I wish I could say the same."

"I would ask what occasion has brought you here, but it would be a waste of time."

"Anything you have to say to me now is a waste of time." Obi‑Wan raised one brow at his former master's sudden hostility.

"I do wish you would come around to reason, old padawan."

A touch of anger stirred in Obi‑Wan. "Where do you get the gall to think he would ever join you?"

"Obi-Wan..." Qui-Gon laid a hand briefly on the back of Obi-Wan's arm.

"I am not you padawan any more, Dooku, I have no agreement with what you are doing. Don't give me cause for disagreement."

Dooku smiled. "You ether agree or you don't, it is impossible to remain neutral on such things."

"Fine, then don't make me express my disagreement." Obi-Wan could feel the aggression between them growing and shifted uncomfortably.

"Master Kenobi," Dooku moved his attention to him, "I do hope you and Master Qui‑Gon never have such a rift in your relationship. The Master‑padawan bond is one that is quite painful to break."

Obi-Wan was momentarily caught off guard. How had Dooku-

"Leave him out of this, Dooku."

The count gave a half smile. "So protective of him, are you? Don't you realize that he is old enough to take care of himself? Even I was able to give you that respect."

Obi-Wan had had enough. "We haven't time for your mind games, Dooku."

"Former master or not, I will take action if you attempt to hinder us."

"Then do what you must." Dooku pulled his lightsaber from his side and ignited the red blade, challenging them to take the next step. Obi-Wan pulled his lightsaber into hand and took offensive position, knowing that Qui‑Gon would prefer to act as defensive in this situation. For a long moment, all that was heard was the humming of the blades as they took their stances, each waiting for someone else to make the first move.

Obi-Wan turned his eyes toward the balcony when the door suddenly slid open and someone stepped through, almost costing him his head. "Obi-Wan!" He lifted his saber just in time to halt Dooku's blade. Qui‑Gon was suddenly at his side. Obi‑Wan was sure he felt a rare anger radiating from his former master as Qui-Gon took the offence from him and started driving Dooku back, leaving Obi‑Wan standing there in a bit of a daze and staring at the young man who stood at the top of the balcony.

The boy- he could not have been older than twenty- appeared to be focused on the battle between Qui‑Gon and Dooku as though he was debating what he should do. Obi-Wan found it strangely impossible to get any sort of read on the man, even so far as being unable to tell if he even had a Force signature. The man's eyes wandered from the battle and met Obi-Wan's.

His heart skipped a beat. The boy's eyes were steel blue and held something in them that Obi‑Wan could not quite place; he did not know whether to be concerned or comforted. But before he could come to any sort of a conclusion, the boy's eyes became transfixed on the chancellor.

The young man then started down the stairs on the side where Obi-Wan stood. His brown hair was ruffled against his collar from his brisk pace and his long black robes hardly had time to drag against the steps behind him. Without even making eye contact with Obi-Wan as he walked by, he walked up right up to where Qui-Gon and Dooku were dueling.

Obi-Wan stared at the three of them a moment too long before he realized that the young man was far too close to the battle. "Hey! Get back!" Obi-Wan shook his head as he ran to them. How was he to even know if this kid was on their side or not?

It did not matter; he was standing their motionless and the two, engrossed in their battle, did not seem to acknowledge his presence. He was bound to get hurt. "Hey!" He started to grab the man's shoulder from behind but, the young man, almost as if it were a reflex, suddenly turned and jumped backward crashing into Dooku and barely avoiding Qui‑Gon's blade as he swung at something that was no longer there. The boy's eyes were filled with horror as he looked from Dooku's motionless body, to Obi-Wan, to Qui-Gon, and finally to the chancellor.

"What happened?"

Obi-Wan turned to Qui-Gon who was staring at Dooku's body. "What do you mean?"

"I didn't hit him."

Obi-Wan looked more closely at the body. There was no cut and no mark; he was just dead. "What happened?" He repeated his former master's words. He looked back up at the boy whose eyes had not left the chancellor. The chancellor! Obi‑Wan turned on heel and started for Chancellor Palpatine. "Are you all right?" Did they ask him that all ready? No matter. He lifted his hand, and with the Force, released the bonds.

"I'm quite all right. Thank you, Master Jedi." He stood and motioned at the boy to come to them. "Are you all right, Vader?" The boy, apparently Vader, gave the chancellor a questioning look, but nodded and made his way to them with Qui-Gon right behind him.

"You know each other?" Qui-Gon asked.

"Oh, yes, I'm sorry. Masters Jin and Kenobi, this is my-" the chancellor seemed to struggle to come up with the exact word, "well, let's just say he's like my son."

"Oh." Obi-Wan held out his hand. "Nice to meet you." Vader just stared at him.

"Sorry, he doesn't like to be touched."

Obi-Wan got the feeling that he was not going to like this kid. Vader suddenly rolled his eyes.

"Well," Qui-Gon broke the silence that had ensued from Vader's apparent lack of manners, "I think we should get out of here."

"Of course. Master, after you." Obi-Wan waived dramatically for Qui‑Gon to lead the way. He let the chancellor and his "son" ahead of him. They retraced their steps back to the elevator. All was going well until he pressed the button for the elevator doors to open. "It's not working."

"What do you mean?" Obi-Wan glared at Qui-Gon.

"I mean, It's not working."

"And by that you mean it is nonfunctional?" A mischievous grin escaped Qui‑Gon.

Obi-Wan sighed. "Master, we don't have time for this."

"Fine." He pulled out his communicator. "Artoo, we need you to get the elevator working again...What do you mean 'which one?' The same one we were on last time, you dimwitted-" They felt the ship start to tilt. "Hang on!"

Obi‑Wan reached out and grabbed the outer doors of the elevator shaft and used the Force to pry them open just in time for him to grab the edge of the floor as the ship rotated on its side. Qui‑Gon had also managed to take hold and had the chancellor's arm in his other hand. He looked over his shoulder and realized that they had lost Vader. "Qui-Gon, what happened to Vader?" He too had just realized that the boy was gone- completely.

"Master Jedi," They had by now managed to pull themselves into the elevator shaft, "I assure you, he'll be all right. He knows what he's doing."

"Chancellor-"

"He's quite remorseful and can handle himself well. Please, let's not waste time." There was definite sincerity and confidence in his voice, so Qui-Gon shrugged and started to lead them on.

"Master, you can't be serious."

"Obi-Wan, our mission and first duty _is_ to the chancellor." Obi-Wan gaped at him. This was not Qui‑Gon's normal attitude about such things.

"Fine, you get the chancellor out of here; I'm going back for the boy."

Qui‑Gon smiled and nodded. "Fair enough. See you back on Coruscant." Obi‑Wan turned and jumped back out into the corridor, sliding across the floor. Using the Force he slowed his descent and his feet his the opposing wall in an almost graceful manner- if graceful is getting tangled in your own robes, tripping, and landing flat on your own face.

"What are you doing?" Obi-Wan rolled over and looked up to see Vader standing over him.

"I should ask the same of you. What happened?" He stood to his feet.

"Master Jedi, do you know what's in an elevator shaft?" The boy's voice was surprisingly smooth and clear.

"What?"

Vader raised his brow. "Elevators."

"Are you afraid of heights, Mr. Vader?"

"A bit of claustrophobia. And don't call me that."

"Sorry." Obi-Wan crossed his arms over his chest. "So you're saying that dying is better than getting into an enclosed space?"

"Being in an enclosed space with people and dying often go hand in hand in my case."

Obi-Wan smirked. He had not bantered with anyone except Qui-Gon like this in some time, and this kid seemed to have skill. "We need to get out of here."

"It's going to be difficult to get anywhere walking on a wall." As though the ship had heard him, the floors and walls started to turn to their proper positions sending them both to the floor.

"You all right?" Obi-Wan picked himself up and extended a hand to Vader. One again though, the boy refused to take it and stood on his own. "Very well, let's go. And we do need to hurry." Obi‑Wan tried to pull them both back into focus. "I hate to break it to you, but the elevator is our best option at this point."

Vader gave a slight nod and followed him to the door. By now, R-2 had gotten the elevator working again and the doors slid open. "After you, Jedi." They stepped in and Obi-Wan pressed the button to bring them down. Silence filled the air as the elevator quickly moved down level by level. They screeched to a halt.

Obi-Wan sighed. "Why now?"

"I hope you have a Plan B?"

Obi-Wan looked up at the hole he had previously cut into the roof. "Yes, it's called 'up.'" He linked his fingers together and stretched his arms down and out. "Here, I'll give you a boost."

"No thanks." Obi-Wan straitened back up. "I can make it up just fine."

"Have it your way." Frustrated, Obi-Wan Force-jumped up through the hole and stood on the top of the elevator. He offered his hand to Vader as the boy pulled himself up, but his help was once again refused.

The outer doors to one of the levels- Obi-Wan honestly did not know where they were at this point- was within their reach and he immediately started to pry them open. They climbed out into the hall and Obi-Wan attempted to get his bearings. "I think if we find a maintenance shaft we could use that to get the rest of the way down. It should be somewhere down this way." He pointed to his right. "But we need to hurry."

"How fast can you run, Jedi?" This brought a smile to Obi‑Wan's face.

"Try to keep up." They darted of down the hall. With his eyes and the Force, Obi‑Wan searched for the entrance to the shaft. They stopped when they reached the end of the hall.

"Exactly where were you trying to take us again, Jedi?"

Obi-Wan swung his head around towards him. "It's Obi‑Wan, and perhaps it was on the other end." He lifted one hand to his short beard. "But I seem to recall-"

"Give me your lightsaber."

"Excuse me?" Vader held out his hand and this time Obi‑Wan was the one left staring. Did he seriously expect him to hand it over?

"You want to get out of here, don't you?"

"Now wait a minute. What do you intend to do?" Vader gave him a mischievous grin. "This is not the time for games."

"You can lose a game; I have no intentions of losing."

"You haven't answered my question."

"If you give me your lightsaber, you'll soon find out."

Obi-Wan stared into the boys sapphire eyes. He was still unable to get a reading on him. "I'm going to regret this." By what must have been some sort of insanity, he unclipped his lightsaber from his belt and placed it into Vader's open hand.

"Trust me." The boy ignited the blue blade and plunged the tip into floor. Obi-Wan was definitely regretting this. Vader briskly sliced a circle around where they were standing. No, now Obi-Wan was regretting this as the floor fell out from beneath them and the plummeted into a chamber filled with fluid. He pulled himself up and stood with the waves of fluid splashing against his thighs.

"This is fuel!"

"So?"

"Your brilliant idea was to take us from a nice safe hallway to a tank of fuel that could ignite at any moment?"

"Pretty much." Vader nonchalantly handed Obi‑Wan his lightsaber back.

"You're an idiot!" Vader started laughing; it was almost a giggle really. "Stop that. This isn't funny." Yet Vader's laughter was quite contagious and Obi‑Wan's voice broke against his will on the last bit. "Oh, come on."

Vader steeled his composure and followed Obi-Wan, wading behind him. "Uh, Je- I mean Obi‑Wan."

"Yes?"

"The level is rising."

Obi-Wan stopped and looked at the level of fuel. Indeed it was rising and increasingly fast. "That's absurd. Ships consume the fuel, it should be lowering not filling up."

"Tell that to the fuel. We need to get out of here."

"We wouldn't have to if someone hadn't put us here in the first place."

"Well, you shouldn't have given me your lightsaber then."

Obi-Wan was about to make what he thought was a wonderful comeback, but drowning was not on his to‑do list. "Whatever. Follow me." They did their best to quicken their pace but the rising fluid made it difficult to do so. If they did not drown in it, they were sure to die from the blast that would result if the fuel rose to the top of the energizers. They were a series of small towers that emitted strong electrical impulses from the top which then converted the fuel from a liquid to a usable gas, but direct contact would cause a reaction that would be too rapid for the fuel to remain stable. It was a poor design really, but then again, these were the Separatists. Obi‑Wan was already well aware that they were stupid, so none of this surprised him.

The level of fuel was now over their heads and Obi-Wan was forced to slow down as Vader did not appear to be the most accomplished swimmer. "There!" Obi‑Wan's eyes followed to where Vader was pointing. It was an opening to the maintenance shaft they had originally been looking for. With the level continually rising, they both made a double effort to reach it. They halted at the shaft and Vader grabbed the first rung and started to pull himself up. "Come on!" Obi-Wan followed behind him and they just short of flew up the maintenance shaft. Obi‑Wan wondered at what point Vader had taken the lead. Oh, right- when he had been dumb enough to let the kid cut a hole in the floor. They climbed out couple of floor above the fuel tank. Obi‑Wan whipped out his lightsaber and sealed the edges of the small door in the wall that they had just exited from.

"Okay, let's not do that again."

"Agreed. You think it'll ignite?" Vader's question was answered by the deafening sound of an explosion and the bulging of the wall next to them. They both flinched.

"Not anymore." They stood there for a moment to catch their breath. "Wait. If that took out the fuel tank, how is the ship still running?"

Obi‑Wan did not actually expect an answer from Vader, but he received one anyway. "It's divided into two tanks; it only took out the starboard side. The port tank should still be fine."

Obi-Wan gazed at him. "How would you know that?"

"I know allot about ships; It's a hobby."

"Aren't they all a bit different though-"

"Basic principles still apply."

He was not wrong, but there was something about his answer that bothered Obi-Wan. It was almost as if Vader was holding something back, but he let it go for now. "Let's get out of here."

They, again, started off for the hanger only to be stopped by set of shields encircling them. "Ray-shields." Obi-Wan rolled his eyes at Vader's remark.

"Thanks for stating the obvious." Vader shrugged. "Maybe it's not Qui-Gon."

Vader glanced over at him. "Huh?"

"It's me. It's got to be. Unless-" Obi‑Wan turned his head and look Vader strait in the eye. "Do you attract trouble?"

"Um, is this relevant to getting out of here?"

"Maybe."

Obi‑Wan was well aware that Vader was growing uncomfortable under his glare. Not that he usually meant to glare at people, but it sometimes just happened when he was frustrated. "Uh, well, could you define trouble?"

But Obi-Wan never did for at that moment several troops of various battle droids entered the corridor. The shields were dropped and they were bound and lead out. They remained silent the entire time with Obi‑Wan wondering how he got himself into these things and how he was going to get out of this one and with Vader thinking- well, Obi‑Wan was clueless when it came to what the kid was thinking. Vader was the most enigmatic person he had ever met, and he had met _allot_ of people.

They finally came to the bridge of the ship and there, in addition to the mostly-droid General Grievous and his minion droids, was R-2, Master Jin, and Chancellor Palpatine- also bound. Qui‑Gon gave Obi‑Wan a patronizing glare as his former padawan was made to stand next to him. Obi‑Wan leaned to Qui‑Gon's ear and whispered, "You were captured first." Qui‑Gon stifled a chuckle. It was sad what things they found to turn into games, but this was war. What would it be if they did not make the most of it?

"Why are you wet?" Qui‑Gon whispered back as Grievous came around the large console in the middle of the room to stand in front of them.

"Long story."

"Master's Jin and Kenobi, what a pleasant surprise." Grievous spoke up in his rough mechanical voice. After few coughs he continued. "I will enjoy the new additions to my collection." He lifted his cape to show several lightsabers strapped to the underside, including Obi‑Wan and Qui‑Gon's. "Your attempt a rescue-" he was broken by a coughing fit. "Your attempt to rescue the chancellor has failed."

"You're dying." All eyes, human and droid alike, turned to Vader. Grievous squinted at him suspiciously.

"Who are you?" When Vader did not answer, the general came closer until he was practically in Vader's face. The boy did not even flinch. "You are no Jedi, yet-"

"You're dying." Vader repeated. "Slowly."

"What would someone so young know about death?"

Vader leaned in, bringing them even closer together. "Everything." It was just a whisper, but the rest of the bridge was so silent that all heard him. Obi‑Wan was a little more than creeped out. The way he had said it had been so eerie and the look in Vader's eyes was soul-piercing. It seemed to have no effect on the droid general, however, and Grievous burst out into laughter.

Vader swung his knee up so quickly into Grievous' chest plate, knocking him back, that even Obi‑Wan and Qui‑Gon were caught off guard. Only momentarily though, and they used the distraction to call their lightsabers to them and cut off each other's bonds. Vader had somehow managed to undo his own bonds and had thrown himself into a battle with the droids on the bridge. He had snatched an electrostaff from one of Grievous' guards and was quite quickly gaining ground. On the other side of the bridge Qui‑Gon was engaged in a battle with another one of the guards, and Obi‑Wan was stuck trying to fend off the four lightsabers that rotated from Grievous' arms. The Neimoidians and several droids started to flee for the escape pods as the battle- both inside and outside the ship- grew more and more intense. Out of the corner of his eye, Obi‑Wan saw Vader run to the chancellor's aid.

With as much determination as he could muster, Obi‑Wan started to drive his opponent back. Grievous, realizing that he had all but lost, picked up a stray electrostaff and threw it into the huge side window, breaking it apart and exposing them to the vacuum of space. Grievous and the other droids flew out the window as Obi‑Wan grabbed the consul and then the chancellor's arm. Vader and Qui‑Gon managed to brace themselves until the safety door slid over the broken widow and the pressure in the bridge stabilized.

Vader was already in the pilot's seat when he reached the main consul. Obi-Wan slid in the seat beside him. One hand flew over the buttons and switches making adjustments and Vader kept the other on the steering mechanism. "Pull that thing over there!" Obi‑Wan immediately pulled the lever next to him.

"Vader," Qui‑Gon spoke up from where he and the chancellor sat behind them, "do you have any idea what you are doing?"

"Of course!"

"Sorry, I was just admiring your expansive technical vocabulary."

Obi‑Wan did his best to make adjustments as Vader started to take them into the atmosphere. It would have been easier if the boy would communicate with him, but it did not seem likely that he would start any time soon.

They heard the ship start to groan and then the loud sound of crunching metal as the ship trembled a little. Vader's eyes turned to him. "I think we lost something."

"Not to worry, we are still flying half a ship." They entered the atmosphere and immediately flames started to lap against the outside of the ship. The speed of their descent alarmingly increased.

"We're too hot." Vader grimaced as he fought to keep the ship under control. By some good fortune, he managed to slow them down as they grew closer to the landing strip.

"Watch out for the tower." Obi‑Wan gestured to the object standing directly in their way.

"I see the tower." The ship moved to the side but not quickly enough. The tower fell to the ground as they made contact and skidded to a stop. Everyone sat still in a stunned silence for a few seconds.

"You hit the tower."

Vader turned and gave him a look of disbelief. "You're welcome."

Obi‑Wan smiled and turned around to Qui‑Gon, who was already standing up, and to the chancellor, who had still not caught his breath from all the excitement. R-2 was the most energetic of the five and with a few chipper beeps, he started to roll off without them. Maybe it was him who attracted the trouble. Obi‑Wan shook his head. Nah, it was Qui‑Gon, definitely Qui‑Gon.


End file.
